Student charged with invasion of privacy

March 7, 2014

BUCKHANNNON - A West Virginia Wesleyan student is facing criminal charges after allegedly displaying a video of an unsuspecting couple having sexual intercourse.

Anthony Roman Asaro, 21, of Virginia Beach, Va., was charged Wednesday with one misdemeanor count of criminal invasion of privacy stemming from an incident that allegedly took place between Feb. 3-4.

According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk's office, Asaro allegedly displayed a video on his iPhone of two individuals engaged in sexual intercourse "in the private setting" of a bedroom in the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house, located at 83 S. Kanawha St.

Asaro allegedly knew that the video had been taken without the couple's knowledge or consent, and was present at the time it was taken, according to witnesses interviewed about the incident.

Buckhannon Police Chief Matt Gregory, the investigating officer in the case, said Nicholas Bader - also a Wesleyan student - allegedly captured the video from outside the couple's bedroom window.

Gregory said he believes there were "at least a couple different incidents" during which Asaro displayed the video to varying individuals at the fraternity house.

"There were different people shown," Gregory said.

Bader and Asaro are both members of the fraternity, Gregory said.

Asaro - who turned himself in Wednesday - is free on a $2,500 bond. Bader is expected to be arraigned later this month.